Valpo Kids CREATE
Valpo Kids CREATE mural bursts with playful color and warm optimism across a brick backdrop.
A bright sky of soft, puffy clouds frames a row of oversized, friendly plants — a bold sunflower, clusters of purple daisy-like blooms, and a pink coneflower — each rendered with thick, cartoonish outlines that give the composition a joyful, storybook feel. When viewers step back they will see the word “LOVE” come to life, turning a blank wall into a vibrant stage where growth and imagination take center stage.
The mural reads as both celebration and invitation. More than 250 children partnered with professional muralist Shannan Barajas to create a piece that feels like a public hug — bright, inclusive, and full of hopeful creative energy.
Mural in progress + installation
“The VCC does a beautiful job of including the community – especially our youth – in its mural projects. My youngest son makes some comment or another on ‘the mural I helped paint’ (Valpo Kids CREATE) every time we are in Central Park Plaza. I love the community pride and connection to place that art involvement is creating for Valpo!”
Megan Marolf, Community Member
Shan was born and raised in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. She was always interested in art, but never took it seriously until moving to Chicago where she found a group of friends already immersed in the graffiti culture.
What started as simple tags on the way to and from college parties grew to an incredible passion for the arts. Attending graffiti events such as Paint Louis, Miami Art Basel, and Meeting of Styles is what inspired her the most and lit a fire in her to seek continuous growth as an artist.
She has painted pieces and murals across multiple states/countries such as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, France, Portugal, Spain, and Iceland. Shan has painted at some of the largest women mural events in the United States hosted by an art collective known as Few N Far.
About the mural location
Central Park Plaza is downtown Valpo’s vibrant gathering place—where concerts, markets, ice skating, and splash-pad fun happen all year round. VCC thanks Central Park Plaza for hosting the Valpo Creates kids mural on the east wall facing the plaza at 68 Lafayette St., Valparaiso, IN 46383.
